Ronald Kogut and David Chalue found innocent in threat, extortion case

SPRINGFIELD – A Hampden Superior Court jury on Wednesday found Ronald Kogut and David Chalue innocent of four crimes arising from an alleged incident in a Chicopee McDonald’s restaurant in July.

Kogut, 44, of Chicopee, and Chalue, 44, of Springfield, were found innocent of armed assault with intent to rob, assault with a dangerous weapon, extortion by threat of injury and threat to commit a crime.

The jury took about four hours to reach a verdict in the trial before Judge Richard J. Carey.

Assistant District Attorney Eduardo Velazquez said in closing arguments Wednesday morning Kogut, aided by Chalue, carried out the crimes against Angelo Della Ripa because he believed Della Ripa cheated him out of money he was due after being bitten in the face by a dog.

Kogut was bitten when he was hired by Angelo Della Ripa to do work on a Springfield house, owned by Anthony Della Ripa, Angelo’s son.

Kogut was accused of threatening Angelo Della Ripa, a former friend, at knifepoint in the restaurant on the morning of July 27, as well as threatening to kill him.

In their closing arguments, defense lawyer Tracy E. Duncan for Kogut and Timothy M. Farris for Chalue said Angelo Della Ripa fabricated a story about the threat with the knife and extortion just to get Kogut out of his life.

Jurors sent one question to Carey and came back with a verdict shortly after they got their question answered by the judge.

Jurors heard recordings of several threatening telephone calls laced with obscenities made in July by Kogut to Angelo Della Ripa and one to Anthony Della Ripa. The calls were made in the days leading up to the meeting between Angelo Della Ripa and Kogut, with Chalue also in the McDonald's restaurant.

The jury’s question was whether they could consider “the malicious words” on the taped calls in reaching a verdict about the extortion by threat of injury charge against Kogut. Carey repeated his instruction that the tapes of the earlier phone calls could not be used as proof of the July 27 crime for which Kogut was standing trial.

Kogut testified he had signed a release in January 2010 clearing the Della Ripas of any liability in exchange for a payment of $20,000 from Angelo Della Ripa.

Kogut said he and Della Ripa had agreed they wouldn’t tell anyone about the signed release and $20,000 payment until after a civil lawsuit was pursued by Kogut against any relevant insurance company. If there was any decision in the suit to go after either of the Della Ripas’ personal assets, Kogut said he and Angelo Della Ripa would produce the release.

Kogut testified he made threatening telephone calls while drunk and didn’t remember making them.

Kogut said he was upset because Angelo Della Ripa’s lawyer gave the signed release to his lawyer, who said the release prevented any success on a lawsuit.